Few men had ever returned to America more accomplished in the most valuable sense of the term. With ample stores of knowledge, won from the solid parts of human learning, embellished by the graces of polite literature, possessing easy and insinuating manners, combined with a powerful and fascinating elocution, he was enabled at once to impress that community, in which he was destined to spend his short life, with a decided conviction of his great fitness for public confidence and distinction.

Shortly after his arrival, Mr. Lynch made his debut as a public speaker, at one of the town-meetings at Charleston, for the purpose of taking into consideration some of the accumulated injuries inflicted on us by the mother country.

In 1775, Mr. Lynch was elected to represent his state in congress, in the place of his father, who was obliged to resign on account of his extreme ill health.

On his arrival at Philadelphia, he took his seat in the congress of 1776, an assembly the most august that the world has ever witnessed. Here he succeeded in fixing a just impression of his exalted character, superior intellect, and persuasive eloquence. He had not been, however, long in congress before his health began to decline with the most alarming rapidity. He was, however, enabled to give his full sanction to those measures which were tending, with irresistible efficacy, to the declaration of independence. One of the last acts of his political life was to affix his signature to this important manifesto.

During the early part of the services of Mr. Lynch in congress, his father remained in Philadelphia. He had experienced a temporary alleviation from his bodily sufferings; and his physicians advised him to travel. He lived only to reach Annapolis, where he expired in the arms of his son, in the autumn of 1776.

The afflicted surviver, after this distressing event, at the request of his physician, prepared to take a voyage to the south of France. He accordingly in the year 1779, sailed in a ship commanded by captain Morgan, accompanied by his amiable lady, whose conjugal devotion increased with the declining health of her husband.

In this voyage, they unfortunately terminated their mortal career. The circumstances of their fate are veiled in impenetrable obscurity. But it is supposed that the ship foundered at sea.

Such, it is most probable, was the fate of this distinguished patriot. And although he sleepeth on the "ocean's wave," his name is destined to be as permanent as are the foundations of her wide domain.

MORRIS, ROBERT, one of the signers of the declaration of independence, and an eminent financier, was born January 20, 1734.

At the age of fifteen he lost his father. Soon after his death, he was taken into the countinghouse of Charles Willing, Esq. of Philadelphia, where he served a regular apprenticeship. In a year or two after the expiration of his indentures, he entered into partnership with Mr. Thomas Willing. This connexion continued for the long period of thirty-nine years; and previously to the commencement of the American war, it was at the summit of commercial distinction.

Few men in the American colonies were more alive to the gradual encroachment of the British government upon the liberties of the people, and none more ready to remonstrate against them. His signature on the part of his mercantile house to the non-importation agreement, evinced the consistency of his principles and conduct, and at the same time was expressive of his willingness to prefer a sacrifice of private interest to the continuance of an intercourse which would add to the revenue of the government that oppressed them.

In consideration of his general intelligence, his high standing in society, and his patriotic exertions, he was appointed by the legislature of Pennsylvania a member of the second congress, which met at Philadelphia in 1775.

A few weeks after he had taken his seat, he was added to the secret committee, and was employed in financial arrangements of the greatest importance to the operations of the army and navy.

He frequently obtained pecuniary and other supplies on his own account, which were most press

ingly required, when at the time it would have been impossible to have procured them on the account of government.

It was by his timely compliance on one of these occasions, which enabled general Washington to gain the important victory at Trenton. Many other similar instances occurred of this patriotic interposition of his own responsibility for supplies and money, which could not otherwise have been obtained.

On the 4th of July, 1776, he signed the ever memorable declaration of independence, that for ever separated us from England, and thus pledged himself to join heart and hand with the destinies of his country, while some of his colleagues, who possessed less firmness, drew back, and retired from the contest.

He was thrice successively elected to congress, in 1776, 77, and '78, and was one of its most useful and indefatigable members.

The free and public expression of his sentiments upon all occasions, and the confident tone of ultimate success which he supported, served to rouse the desponding, to fix the wavering, and confirm the brave.

To trace him through all the acts of his political and financial administration, would be to make a history of the last two years of the revolutionary war. When the exhausted credit of the government threatened the most alarming consequences; when the soldiers were utterly destitute of the necessary supplies of food and clothing when the military chest had been drained of its last dollar, and even the intrepid confidence of Washington was shaken; upon his own credit, and from his own private resources, did he furnish those pecuniary means, but for which the physical energies of the country, exerted to their utmost, would have been scarcely competent to secure that prompt and glorious issue which ensued.

In the year 1781, he was appointed by congress "superintendent of finance," an office for the first time established.

One of the first acts of his financial government was the proposition to congress, of his plan for the establishment of the bank of North America, which was chartered forthwith, and opened on the 7th January, 1782.

On his retirement from office, it was affirmed, by two of the Massachusetts delegates, that "it cost congress at the rate of eighteen millions per annum, hard dollars, to carry on the war, till he was chosen financier, and then it cost them but about five millions!"

No man ever had more numerous concerns committed to his charge, and few to greater amount; and never did any one more faithfully discharge the various complicated trusts with greater despatch, economy, or credit, than the subject of this sketch.

By letter to the commissioners of the treasury board, he resigned his office of superintendent of finance, September 30, 1784.

The next public service rendered by Mr. Morris to his country, was as a member of the convention that formed the federal constitution in the year 1787. He also represented Philadelphia in the first congress, that sat at New-York after the ratification of the federal compact by the number of states required thereby, to establish it as the grand basis of the law of the land.

At length, worn down by public labour, and private misfortunes, he rapidly approached the mansion appointed for all living; the lamp of life glimmered in its socket; and that great and good man sunk into the tomb, on the 8th May, 1806, in the seventy-third year of his age.

The memory of a man of such distinguished utility cannot be lost; and while the recollection of his multiplied services are deeply engraven on the